As Science Advances, Judges Get Training In Technology, Genetics

Posted: Fri 8:53 PM, May 04, 2007

With advanced science playing a larger role in the legal system, judges are more often facing decisions about technical disputes.

Today, some of those judges are gathered in Chapel Hill to take a crash course with medical and genetics experts at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. About 60 judges are attending the conference, which is exploring emerging and often controversial areas of science.

The three-day intensive training session aims to prepare judges for some of the most politically charged issues of the day -- gene therapy, genetic discrimination, genetically modified foods, human cloning and stem cell research.

Florida Circuit Court Judge Jose Rodriguez says he's in the middle of a manslaughter case in which he's trying to determine the scientific reliability of key pieces of evidence. He calls the case a battle of experts.

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